Son of ex-NFL linebacker faces charges for the murder of his parents

A 16-year-old faced a judge Monday on capital murder charges in the death of his parents, Antonio and Dawn Armstrong. Antonio Armstrong was a former Miami Dolphins linebacker.

Police were called to the family's home around 1:30 a.m. in response to shots being fired. Dawn Armstrong died at the scene and Antonio Armstrong died in the hospital a few hours later. The couple's other children were at home at the time but were not injured.

Their juvenile son blames the shooting on a masked gunman whom he saw in the house, according to prosecutors.

"I can tell you that our client adamantly denies committing these offenses," defense attorney Rick DeToto said. "He's very emotional. He's lost his parents. He's 16 years old, and you can imagine being (a) 16-year-old in this situation."

Armstrong was a college football star at Texas A&M before his career in the NFL.

"This was an outstanding family," Houston police homicide investigator Jimmy Dodson said. "He was an associate pastor in the area church. He's a great guy. The mother was apparently a great mother, according to family members."